It was a usual day and like all the other after-college evenings, my friends and I sat down for a discussion over coffee. That day we enlightened each other about the pertinent issues faced by women in India. Deep into the discussion, all my friends were sincerely expressing their womanly woes until, I mentioned Feminism. This word triggered a debate between us, because even after being women we couldn’t define it.

So what is feminism? Is it an idea, a cause, a solution, a movement or a feature characterising the whole female race? Well, in my head, it is a collective effort to bring about gender equality in the world. However, after the discussion with my friends that day I was very curious to know a male’s perspective on modern-day feminism and so, I called up one of my dear friends and had a chat with him on this global subject. Here are a few excerpts from our telephonic conversation.

What is your idea of feminism?

For me feminism is a tool which can help fix malfunctions of the society to build an equal world. Also, it is a way to create gender awareness.

How far do you think have we come from the traditional idea of feminism, to define what we can call today as ‘modern feminism’?

Well, I am not fully aware of the feminist ideologies. But I believe that we evolve every day and therefore, the idea of feminism has also evolved with time. It can be said that it has changed from the traditional thinking that probably focused on aspects such as sending a girl to school to the modern day thinking that also includes allowing girls to wear what they want to. Today, I am sure that people are much more aware about the idea of feminism because it is being studied and researched upon and at the same time, it has come into the spotlight in all the sectors of the society.

So do you think that it is an inclusive movement?

Yes, I am very confident about that. I think that feminism is a heterogeneous movement now, as it involves many aspects like right to education, right to vote, promoting body positivity, freedom of expression, rape, marriage, homosexuality, pay structure in working spaces and so many other things.

Do you think that feminism can in any way benefit the male gender?

In my opinion, it can actually help men in a certain way. As, in a society of equals there will be less pressure (that is created by gender stereotypes), fair competition, equal opportunities, ample scope for exploring different areas and the freedom to live according to my own choices which may not follow the traditional role of a male.

According to you, what should be done to give the women of today an equal status?

First of all, we need to give women all the spotlight and make them aware of their worth. Secondly, they must have the freedom of movement and should not be restricted to certain areas or spaces. However, this freedom should not be abused by any individual. Finally, people need to stop judging females based on their physicality and they should be given the chance to prove their intellectual calibre.

After this, I felt compelled to ask my friend whether an egalitarian society can actually be created or is it just an idealistic notion. He said, that “an egalitarian society is just a perfect thought and in this spherical world nobody can stand same. Therefore, the cause of feminism will be justified, in a way, the day there exists no word like patriarchy or feminist.”

The conversation ended, but it left me in a very thoughtful space. I introspected upon my thinking of feminism and tried to assimilate it with my (male) friend’s view. To my surprise, I realised that the modern sense of feminism has actually become very broad. According to my understanding, in today’s time, Feminism can be seen as a way to make people aware about their own and opposite genders, to create a better understanding between them, so that we can together build a harmonious and healthy environment for ourselves.